InspiringFifty Belgium puts female tech role models in the spotlight
Clusity and De Cronos Group are official partners of InspiringFifty Belgium, a non-profit organisation that strives for more women in management positions within the technology sector. As of today, on International Women's Day, anyone can apply for a position on the website website to nominate themselves or a leading tech lady whom they think should be on the list.
Official press release:
Antwerp, 8 March - InspiringFifty Belgium, the non-profit organisation that strives for more women in management positions within the technology sector, is for the second time searching for Belgium's fifty female role models. CEOs and founders of tech companies, or CTOs and CIOs of larger organisations are eligible. As of today, on International Women's Day, anyone can nominate themselves or a leading tech lady via the website nominate themselves or a leading tech ladywho they think should be on the list. On 6 October, the jury, consisting of, among others, Françoise Chombar (Melexis), Marion Debruyne (Vlerick Business School) and Thierry Geerts (Google), will announce the InspiringFifty 2022 during a festive event.
Studies (1) show that 86 per cent of top managers of listed companies in Belgium are men. For CEOs this is even 97 percent. InspiringFifty Belgium wants to stimulate diversity in Belgian tech companies by making female role models more visible and breaking stereotypes. Every two years the organisation therefore maps out the women in tech in Belgium, regardless of education, experience or the size of the company in which they work. The organisation also wants to convince women from all sectors that they can also build a successful career in tech without a background in STEM.
"Several studies show that a healthy mix can only benefit a company. I am thinking in particular of the innovative power of tech companies that goes hand in hand with diversity", adds Elke Kraemer.
Elke Kraemer, founder of InspiringFifty Belgium: "We want to break down people's stereotypes and ensure that they consciously involve women when new management positions are filled. The image that women cannot be managers, or that it is more difficult, must be broken. With their knowledge and/or soft skills, women are a much-needed addition to the typical IT profiles. And even without a STEM background, they can build a successful career in tech."
200 nominations
InspiringFifty is aiming for more than 200 nominations for female tech role models this year. The organisation is therefore calling on women in your company or environment to nominate en masse via https://belgium.inspiringfifty.org/nominations-2022. Registration is possible until 31 May 2022.
InspiringFifty Belgium was founded on an existing model by Elke Kraemer, founder of Clusity within The Cronos Group, and tech entrepreneur and investor Joëlle Frijters. With InspiringFifty they offer women a network of like-minded people, organise training courses and take initiatives to increase the number of women in tech. To this end, the organisation works together with Agoria, VUB and ULB, among others. Companies can also turn to InspiringFifty for advice in their search for suitable female candidates for C-level positions.
Well-known women from the tech sector are putting their shoulders to the campaign:
Ann Caluwaerts, Executive Vice President at Telenet and member of the jury of InspiringFifty Belgium: "The tech sector is bursting with diverse talent. Yet, even now that the war on talent is raging, companies still too often focus on the same profiles. Not only does that not help, it also deprives the sector of new blood and oxygen. Oxygen that is desperately needed to stimulate optimal growth and innovation. InspiringFifty highlights the power of female role models in tech in order to bring about positive change. By also focusing on an inclusive corporate culture where everyone feels at home, we can also offer diverse talent the optimal breeding ground."
Isabel Van Mele, CIO KBC Group, nominee InspiringFifty 2020: "Being nominated for InspiringFifty made me and my team proud and gave us an energy boost. At the same time, it inspired me to keep growing and to keep challenging myself. As CIO at KBC, I now have even more opportunities to develop my talents, to support people to grow and flourish in a culture of open dialogue, to build an inclusive international team, to encourage leadership,... To be a coach and role model."
Agenda InspiringFifty Belgium 2022
8 March: campaign launch
31 May: end of registration
6 October: announcement InspiringFifty 2022
Key figures InspiringFifty Belgium
InspiringFifty Belgium was founded in 2019.
Bezielers Belgium: Joëlle Frijters and Elke Kraemer
Jurors 2022:
Loubna Azghoud, Lead 'we are founders program' at BeCentral
Marc Bresseel, Founder of Duval Union
Ann Caluwaerts, EVP People, Brand & Corporate Affairs at Telenet & Board Imec
Françoise Chombar, Chairwoman at Melexis
Marion Debruyne, Dean of Vlerick Business School
Saar Dietvorst, CEO & Director Of Public Relations at manley
Thierry Geerts, Country Director at Google Belgium & Author of 'Digitalis' & 'Homo digitalis
Elke Jeurissen, Founder of Glassroots & StraffeM/Fierce Ladies
Pascale Van Damme, Vice President EMEA VMware (Dell Technologies)
Saskia Van Uffelen, Digital Champion Belgium
InspiringFifty is part of the organisation EQL:HER, which aims to improve diversity in tech by making female role models more visible.
The InspiringFifty programme (worldwide) was founded in 2013. Today the organisation is active in Belgium, Canada, DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), France, Italy, Netherlands, Scandinavia, United Kingdom and South Africa.